12 Days of Christmas
by spiderfire
Summary: Twelve days of Christmas - Valjean surprising Javert with a present on each day of Christmas. Javert not always happy with these silly surprises. **Prompt #45 from Round 3 of the tumblr valvert exchange.


**1. Thursday, December 26**

Javert slammed the phone down. His partner, Renauld, looked up from the file of phone records he was plowing through. "What?"

"I have gotta go to court."

"The Despres case?"

"Yeah."

"But I thought you were not due to testify until tomorrow?"

Javert shrugged as he stood and pulled on his overcoat. "So did I. But that was Rabelais and the judge wants me there an hour ago."

"Bummer."

Javert fished around in his pockets for his keys. He frowned and then pulled out the blue wrapper of a hazelnut Balisto bar. "Huh," he said. "I don't remember buying this."

"You're getting senile," Renauld said.

Javert shrugged and tore open the package. "Well, it's going to be a long time before I have dinner. See you tomorrow."

"Have fun with the judge."

"Don't get me started."

**2. Friday, December 27**

The craptastic ballpoint pen in his hand stopped writing mid-word. With a growl, Javert tossed it down and yanked open his desk drawer, looking for another pen. As he was pulling open the drawer, he remembered that he had used the last one and he would have to go to the supply cabinet.

He was about to get up when he looked down in his drawer. Huh. Sitting there was a two pack of his favorite pen – a variety of pen that Elaine, the office manager, had told him was no longer manufactured and they could not order any more. He liked the pens because they were smooth and heavy and solid in his hand unlike the flimsy Bic crap that the department usually bought.

He took out the package and looked at it with a frown. Then he looked at at his partner. "Renauld, where did these come from?"

"What?"

"These pens." Javert brandished the packet. "They were in my drawer. "

"So?" Renauld looked back down at the file of phone records.

"You did not answer my question," Javert interrupted.

With an exasperated sigh, Renauld put the file down on the desk. "What question?"

"Did you get these?"

Renauld shook his head. "No. Why would I do that?"

"Then how the hell did they get in my desk?"

"I have no idea. Maybe they were there all along.

"They weren't!"

"Maybe you should get your head checked."

"Fuck off."

**3. Saturday, December 28**

"Toss me the keys, rook. I'm driving."

Man, the recruits got younger every year. This kid looked like he was barely old enough to shave, much less wield a gun. Javert caught the keys and slid into the driver's seat. As he pulled on the seatbelt, he noticed the kid was holding out a small package.

"What's that?"

"It was in your mailbox. I thought you might want it."

Javert took it. It was a package of three cupcakes. Awful, plasticy, terrible things with more chemicals than food in them. However, he loved them. Back when he had been a guard, the prison commissary had sold them for the inmates to buy. He had developed an unholy attachment to them.

For a moment, as he looked at the package, he remembered the first time he had eaten one. He was on the detail transferring prisoners to Clairvaux when he had missed breakfast and had grabbed a package to eat on the ride. Ironically, he was now off to fetch a witness from La Santé.

Javert shook his head as he looked at the rookie, leveling a gaze that made the kid shrink back in his seat, right up against the wall. "Where did you get these?"

"I told you, Inspector, they were in your mailbox."

"You did not put them there?"

"Why would I do that?"

Javert started the car with an abrupt twist of his wrist. "Renauld, that lying bastard, is in big trouble when I get back."

**4. Sunday, December 29**

A day off, at last. After a lazy morning in bed with Jean, Javert got up and took a shower. After he toweled off, he walked over to the dresser and pulled open his underwear drawer.

His eyes were assaulted by bright red. Bright red plaid boxers. Solid bright red boxers with "Ho Ho Ho" printed across the rear. A green pair that said "Naughty" across the rear and "Nice" across the front in giant red Helvetica. And, most bafflingly, a pair in red faux fur with white trim around the waist. He turned around to see Jean grinning broadly from the bed, still naked. "You said you needed new underwear," he said innocently.

**5. Monday, December 30**

Javert was walking in from the garage following close behind Renauld. Renauld was leading a man in handcuffs. Someone called Javert and he turned to look.

"Inspector! Inspector Javert! Did'ja order something?"

"Not now, rook."

The younger police officer shook his head. "You got boxes. Five of them. In the mailroom. They don't fit in your mailbox and Elaine wants them out."

Javert rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Renauld? I'll meet you in the interrogation room in a minute."

"Sure thing."

Javert walked into the mailroom and sure enough, there were five boxes sitting on the counter. "Who from?" he demanded. Elaine shrugged. "UPS delivered them and they're not setting off any of the scanners." Javert scooped them up and walked out as Elaine said, "Thank you!" to his back.

He dropped them on his desk and fished a scissors out of his drawer to slice the box open. As he did so, a bunch of little plastic ducks fell out of the box. He picked one up. It was dressed as a doctor. Another one was dressed as a fireman. A cop. A nurse.

He dumped the rest of the box out. Maybe two dozen ducks, all different, were scattered over his desk. Shaking his head, he sliced open the other four boxes. Every one of them was full of little ducks.

Then he remembered. He and Jean had been shopping. Well, Jean had been shopping and he had been dragged along. They were looking for baby clothes for Cosette's soon to be firstborn. Ducks seemed to be the theme this year. Jean had found this outfit that had a duck on the front and ducks on the feet. And then, they had bought a rubber duck to go with it.

Javert looked at the mess on his desk. He dropped the scissors and stormed off to the interrogation room to see if Renauld was ready to start.

Ooooh, Jean was so dead when he got home.

**6. Tuesday, December 31**

Javert came into the workroom and groaned. Yesterday had been crazy. The guy they had been interrogating had confessed and they had taken him down to booking and one thing led to another. He had completely forgotten about the ducks.

This morning, little ducks were everywhere. Perched on computer monitors. On top of the coffee machine. Wedged into the handles of a filing cabinet. Dangling from a light fixture. But worst of all – someone had paid particular attention to his desk. A rainbow of ducks were arranged, following each other around and across his blotter.

Last night, when he had pressed, Jean had caved. He had admitted that he had put the candy bar in his pocket. And he had recruited Renauld to help with the pens and cupcakes. Even Elaine had been in on it. He had given her a heads up about the packages so they would not be sent back.

This morning, when Javert had woken up, he had been greeted with a wrapped package. "What is this?" he asked Jean suspiciously.

"Just something."

He had opened it and discovered six pairs of socks. "At last," he said. "Something practical."

He almost missed the flash of hurt that crossed Jean's eye.

**7. Wednesday, January 1**

New Year's Day. Seniority had gotten him the day off. He and Jean had stayed up late, welcoming in the New Year. Later there would be dinner with the Pontmercys, but for now it was just the two of them.

Jean set the table for breakfast while Javert fried the eggs and buttered the toast. He carried the plates to the table, but he stopped short when he looked at his place. There was an envelop positioned between his fork and knife.

With an exasperated sigh, he looked at Jean. "Don't you ever give up?"

The smile that Jean gave him back may have been a bit forced, but it was a smile none the less. "You should know the answer to that by now."

"Yes," he replied, "I suppose I do." He put down the plates and slid into his chair. "Should I open it now?"

"That's up to you."

Javert shook his head. "You are impossible, Jean, do you know that?" He picked up the envelop and broke the seal. Inside were seven scratch cards. "Really? Scratch cards?"

He looked at them. One proclaimed 'Millionaire!' Another, 'Happy 2014', a third said 'Blackjack!'.

"If one wins, what would you do with it?" Jean asked.

Javert looked at him and shrugged. "How should I know?"

"No, really. What is something you have always wanted to do?"

Javert thought about it. "Buy a new car?"

Jean nodded and smiled encouragingly. "What color?"

"Oh, blue probably."

"Like dark blue or electric blue?"

Javert was starting to get into the game. What the heck, he thought? Play along. "Electric. With grey leather seats."

Jean nodded. "Go on."

As they ate their eggs, they happily talked about the hypothetical car he would buy and where they would go in it.

When it was done, he scratched the tickets and won nothing, but by that point it did not matter.

**8. Thursday, January 2**

The ducks were still all over the workroom when he got in, but this time, Javert smiled at them. Some had been relocated. On the table next to the copier, a judge duck held court with a jury. In the lunchroom, twenty had been carefully stacked into a tower.

When the box arrived at mid day, everyone gathered around to see what it was. Eight brightly colored Slinkies. Javert kept the blue one for himself and gave the green one to Renauld. Renauld tried to get it to walk off a cube of sticky notes he had on his desk. By way of apology, he left the purple one on Elaine's desk.

He took the remaining to the copy room. One, he arranged as a tunnel for ducks to play in. The rest he left on the counter.

**9. Friday, January 3**

He found himself at court all morning. When he got back to the stationhouse, the room was remarkably quiet. That is because, he thought, everyone else is out being useful.

He picked up his mail and was unsurprised to find another box waiting for him. He debated opening it now or waiting, but he decided to go ahead and open it. Inside, he found nine boxes of a dozen pencils. What an odd present. Then he opened a box and found that the pencils were painted various bright colors, and they were all emblazoned with "Inspector Javert" in silver writing.

Smirking, he tucked one in his breast pocket and put the rest in his desk.

**10. Saturday, January 4**

Over breakfast again, there was another envelop. "More scratch tickets he asked?"

Jean smiled. "Why don't you find out?"

Javert played with the envelop, bending it, trying to figure out what was inside. Something cardboard like. Or several somethings. Ten, if he had to guess. He picked up the butter knife and sliced open the envelop.

Ten tickets. Movie passes.

He fanned them out and looked at Jean. "Well, I guess I am going to have to find someone to go to the movies with me."

**11. Sunday, January 5**

His phone had rung in the middle of the night. Reluctantly, he left his warm bed and pulled on his clothes. Jean had rolled over sleepily as he closed the bedroom door and departed for work.

When he got back home at breakfast time, Jean was waiting for him. In the center of the table, there was a centerpiece, a pot of cacti that he had never seen before. There was an interesting array of plants. A round one with fuzzy outsides, a spiky tall one, something with oval leaves that looked like a tiny tree. Some strange looking purple one. Six..nine…eleven. Eleven tiny little succulents.

"It's for you," Jean said as he came from the kitchen. "You can't kill them."

Javert snorted. "I can kill any plant."

"No, really. They'd like water, but even a splash of black coffee once a month is all that it needs. If you forget a month, that is fine too."

"Well, I will try to not let them down."

**12. Monday, January 6**

Monday. A day back to work after a weekend off. Sort off, considering the nighttime call. Despite himself, he was looking forward to a surprise box from Jean. But none came. All morning, he did his bit. All afternoon, too. No surprise.

When he got home, he found Valjean in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Wrapping his arms around him from behind, he rested his chin on Valjean's shoulder and said softly, "I was looking forward to a surprise today."

Jean was not able to keep the smile out of his voice. "Were you?"

"I was. And none came."

"I see." Jean stirred the cream sauce thickening in the pot. "I thought you did not like the presents."

Javert tightened his arms around Valjean. "I came around," he said quietly. "You tend to do that to me."

Valjean reached down and flicked the stove off, turning in Javert's arms. He tilted his head up to kiss the taller man. "I was saving it for home."

"Oh."

"I thought we'd start with twelve kisses."

Javert smiled broadly. "That would do quite nicely. For a start."


End file.
